Survey Data
Reg No
40902801
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Previous Name
Muckamish Fort
Original Use
Martello tower
In Use As
House
Date
1810 - 1815
Coordinates
230509, 432452
Date Recorded
15/05/2014
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding three-stage Martello tower, built c.1812-13, on ovoid plan, having three-gun battery to north. Now in use as private dwelling/holiday home, with modern additions. Flat roof to tower, hidden behind raised ashlar granite parapet. Remains of traversing gun platform to roof (not viewed), and with later rendered chimneystacks to east and northwest sides. Crenellated parapet to later addition to northwest side of tower, and shallow pitched roof to later addition to northeast. Dressed ashlar granite walling to tower, with machicolation on corbelled base over doorway to southwest side. Square-headed window opening to south face, having cast-iron quarry-glazed window. Square-headed doorway to southwest side at second stage level with dressed monolithic lintel and battened timber door, accessed by flight of concrete steps with wrought-iron or mild steel guard-rail. Square-headed openings to later additions. Site surrounded by battered coursed rubble stone boundary walls. Recent buildings to site with flat concrete roofs. Concrete bridge over rock-cut ditch to landward, south side, having coursed stone walls to each side. Gateway to south of site with coursed stone square-plan gate piers and wrought-iron double-leaf gate. Tower sited on narrow promontory jutting out into west side of Lough Swilly, to north of Rathmullan.
Appraisal
This impressive Napoleonic-era coastal fortification is an important element of the built heritage and history of County Donegal. Despite some modifications over the years, and recent works to convert it for use as a private dwelling/holiday home, it retains its stark original character. It is of a form that is atypical of Martello towers in Ireland, but resembles the tower at Magilligan Point, Co. Derry. The entrance to the site from the landward side was by drawbridge over a rock-cut ditch; this drawbridge has been replaced by a bridge. There was also a powder magazine and a shot furnace to the site. Macamish Martello Tower is one of six such coastal batteries and Martello towers established along Lough Swilly to defend against possible French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars of the early nineteenth century. The gunners remained at Macamish until 1878 when the site was abandoned (although the guns appear to have been removed by 1874). The site was converted for use as a private dwelling or holiday home in recent years, apparently carried out to designs by the celebrated architect Liam McCormick, adding another layer of interest to this site.